An alternative perspective on the meaning of ‘open’ in Higher Education
Jenny Mackness, April 17, 2013

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Jenny Mackness proposes, "maybe a 'step' towards an understanding of the meaning of openness is through collaboration across institutions and countries. Whilst this does not address 'open' as in 'free' nor 'open access', it does begin to address 'open sharing' and what it means to 'be' open." I don't know. I've observed collaborations across institutions for decades, without a corresponding increase in openness. It could be that such collaborations (and the fund-seeking that preceeds them) actually distracts from openness.

[Link] [Comment][Tags: Open Access]

MOOCs and the Elite Edupunk Way
Darren Draper, Drape's Takes, April 17, 2013

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Darren Draper summarizes a response from David Wiley to a recent post of mine in which I argue (or complain) that "MOOCs were not designed to serve the missions of the elite colleges and universities. They were designed to undermine them, and make those missions obsolete." As one of the people who actually developed MOOCs, I figured I was in a good position to say why they were designed, but apparently not. Anyhow, Wiley insightfully pierces the motivation behind the xMOOCs: "The current mania around MOOCs has nothing to do with strategic neutralization of a potential threat to higher education’s business model and everything to do with needing to be in the New York Times." As IO comment on Draper's piece, "there's plenty of precedent for these institutions jumping out in front of an existing trend and then taking credit for it in the media." But ultimately, I would argue, this self-serving behaviour serves to fend off competition to the privileged position these institutions enjoy.

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MOOCs: taxonomy of 8 types of MOOC
Donald Clark, Donald Clark Plan B, April 17, 2013

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I don't see the need for the rude poem, which requires that I post a language warning here. But beyond that, the list of eight types of MOOC is, well, a taxonomy. Because it wouldn't be Education Research without a taxonomy. But I like this bit: "Siemen’s famously  said 'cMOOCs focus on knowledge creation and generation whereas xMOOCs focus on knowledge duplication'. More simply, Smith says 'in an xMOOC you watch videos, in a cMOOC you make videos.'"

[Link] [Comment][Tags: Video]